Wednesday 23 February 2011

BSP Consulting's Sheffield scheme wins an award


Civil and structural engineering firm BSP Consulting is celebrating the news that a £12 million scheme the company worked on has been named Sheffield’s best new building by people living and working in the city.

Leopold Square – an upmarket complex of bars, restaurants, flats and a hotel - won the People’s Award at the Sheffield Design Awards, sponsored by Sheffield Civic Trust and RIBA Yorkshire.

The scheme involved renovating a number of Grade 2 Victorian buildings of historical interest to create what’s become a top leisure destination in Sheffield.

Nottingham-based BSP Consulting, which also has offices in Leicester, Derby and Sheffield, was civil and structural engineer for the project, which was developed by ASK and Gleeds, and designed by Axis Architecture.

“Leopold Square is a superb development and BSP Consulting is proud to have worked on the project to preserve and enhance such an important part of Sheffield’s history,” said BSP Consulting managing director David Sumner. “It’s an honour for the scheme to receive an award voted for by the public. We are delighted by the news.”

The award is the latest achieved for a scheme worked on by BSP Consulting. Other award-winning schemes include a medical centre, housing developments and a centre for the blind.

“As structural and civil engineers, we are often involved from the very early stages in a building’s life or redevelopment, and it’s exciting to hear when they go on to win awards some time later,” added David Sumner.

The Sheffield Design Awards ceremony was held at the Showroom Cinema in the city. There were hundreds of votes for the People’s Award.

BSP Consulting offers the complete range of consultancy services to the construction industry. Its offices are based at Oxford Street, Nottingham, Pride Park, Derby, De Montfort Street, Leicester, and Solly Street, Sheffield.

www.bsp-consulting.co.uk

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Friday 18 February 2011

Food and Drink Forum ensures that the food and drink sector’s voice is heard

East Midlands business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum is campaigning to ensure that the food and drink sector in the region has a strong voice going forward.

The membership organisation wants to ensure that the industry in the East Midlands is effectively represented following the disbandment of regional development agencies in 2012.

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) has been a key partner for The Food and Drink Forum in support of the food and drink sector in the region. Now the Forum wants to ensure that the sector retains a strong voice once emda ceases to exist.

“The Food and Drink Forum has spent a lot of time focusing on understanding what the structure of public-funded business support may look like in the future,” said Fiona Anderson, managing director of The Food and Drink Forum.

“What is clear is that the funds coming into business support in the future will be significantly reduced, and that businesses will have to pay for more of the advice and guidance that they receive.”

The Food and Drink Forum, which is one of the largest food and drink business support organisations in the East Midlands and which represents a wide range of member businesses, has held talks with a number of key organisations that may be involved in business support for the sector in the future.

“Through membership of the English Food and Drink Alliance (EFDA), a direct dialogue has been opened up with DEFRA to ensure that the needs of food and drink businesses especially SME’s across England are communicated and represented,” said Fiona Anderson.

“We believe that BIS (Department of Business Innovation and Skills) will be setting up six offices across England and are hoping that one will be in our region. We have also been in talks with the emerging Local Enterprise Partnerships for the East Midlands region and have been party to their submissions to Government. We were pleased that all of the proposals incorporated support for the food and drink sector - recognising its importance as the largest manufacturing sector in the region.

“We have also been keeping a watching brief on emerging funding schemes such as the Regional Growth Fund and innovation initiatives to ensure that we can maximise the value of these for our sector.”

As a private, membership organisation, the Food and Drink Forum’s role in supporting the East Midlands food and drink sector will continue.

“Whilst there will be a reduced number of publicly-funded programmes which we are able to offer, a wide range of support services will still be delivered by The Food and Drink Forum, such as support for collaborative distribution and for manufacturing efficiencies, food technical services, and training and development courses,” said Fiona Anderson.

Based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, and covering Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, The Food and Drink Forum was launched in 1998 as a not-for-profit membership-led organisation to stimulate and support the sustainable growth and development of the food and drink industry in the East Midlands.

To find out more about The Food and Drink Forum, please visit www.foodanddrinkforum.co.uk or call 0115 9758810.

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Tuesday 15 February 2011

Food and Drink iNet steps forward in potato water footprint project


A research team is being backed by The Food and Drink iNet to turn the spotlight on how much water is used by potatoes during their lifetime…from growing through to processing.

Researchers hope that by understanding the ‘water footprint’ of potatoes they will be able to look at ways of helping potato producers and processors to adapt to the potential effects of climate change and how to cope with less water.

It is the first time that anyone has looked in the East Midlands at the potato supply chain in relation to its water catchment - and the future risks to the industry in what is one of the country’s prime potato growing areas.

Experts at The University of Northampton are working with colleagues at the University of Lincoln, Cranfield University and Lincolnshire potato company Branston Ltd on the project, which is one of five Collaborative Research and Development grants worth a total of more than £235,000 announced by the Food and Drink iNet, which co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands.

Funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Food and Drink iNet is one of four regional iNets that has developed an effective network to link academic and private sector expertise and knowledge with local food and drink business innovation needs.

“Businesses are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of water in their supply chain, not only for security of supply, but also for the environmental impacts caused by water use,” said Dr Margaret Bates, reader in sustainable waste management at the University of Northampton.

“Any disruption of water in the supply chain can impact significantly on a business’ ability to operate and deliver; therefore a greater understanding of water usage will enable companies to adopt strategies to mitigate against future scarcities and impacts of climate change.”

The ‘water footprint of the potatoes food chain’ project has been awarded £50,000 towards the £62,500 cost of the research.

“We are pleased to be able to work with our colleagues at the University of Northampton, the University of Lincoln, Cranfield University and Branston Limited on this ground-breaking research project,” said Food and Drink iNet interim director Richard Worrall. “No one has ever looked at the water footprint of potatoes across their supply chain in the East Midlands before, and the results could have great significance on potato growing and processing in the future.

“The Food and Drink iNet Collaborative Research and Development support is designed to provide help for innovative research schemes that will benefit the food and drink sector, and this fits the bill perfectly.”

Potatoes are a particularly important crop in the East Midlands region, which hosts 17% of the national crop area. Potatoes account for the greatest area of irrigated crops in the country. Although the annual total water withdrawals for irrigation are small compared to other sectors, they occur, by definition, in the places and at the times of year when water resources are under most pressure. Therefore, the use of water for growing potatoes is of particular significance to the East Midlands region.

“This project seeks to understand the water footprint of the potato food chain in the East Midlands,” said Dr Bates. “It will develop key messages to enable food producing businesses in the region to adapt to the potential effects of climate change and the associated change in water resource availability.”

The water footprint of a product is a measure of the total appropriation of freshwater resources in the life cycle of the product. Potatoes use approximately 130 litres of water/kg during growth, 10 litres/kg during processing and 0.1 litres/kg during preparation by the final consumer.

“People are looking at the carbon footprint of everything but it’s considered, with the issue of water scarcity in large parts of the country, that the water footprint will be very important in the future,” added Dr Bates.

Cranfield and Lincoln universities will focus on water used during potato growing, while University of Northampton researchers will look at water used during packing and processing.

The Food and Drink iNet aims to build on the tradition of innovation in the food and drink industry in the region by helping to create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and to help research, develop and implement new products, markets, services and processes. It is managed by a consortium, led by the Food and Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. It is based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, with advisors covering the East Midlands region.

For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Friday 11 February 2011

New Leicester council homes supported by BSP Consulting


BSP Consulting has played a pivotal role in a scheme which has led to the first new council homes in Leicester for more than 30 years.

Keys to the first nine of Leicester City Council’s new council homes, built by Kier Partnership Homes with BSP Consulting as the structural and civil engineer for the project, have been handed to tenants.

The development in Calluna Close, off Heather Road, West Knighton, features seven two-bed/four-person homes, one four-bed/eight-person home and one four-bed/six-person home for a wheelchair-user.

Each is built to Code for Sustainable Homes level 4, and designed to be energy efficient and economical for tenants to heat.

The development is one of five sites across the city, which will create 146 new council homes when complete. Leicester City Council was allocated £7m of funding from the Homes and Communities Agency in 2009 to provide the homes via the last government's Challenge Fund initiative. The council funded approximately £8m towards the project.

BSP, which has offices in Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, is also involved in two further projects under the Leicester scheme - to build 49 homes at Wycombe Road and 35 homes at Godstow Walk. The Wycombe Road scheme is due for completion at the end of April and the Godstow Walk development due to finish at the end of June.

“We are very pleased to have been involved in this scheme with Leicester City Council and Kier Partnership Homes to bring the first new council homes to Leicester for more than 30 years,” said BSP Consulting managing director David Sumner.

“The Heather Road site was quite a challenging site, with steep slopes and a range of levels, but we are very pleased with the resulting scheme and hope the tenants will be happy in their new homes.”

www.bsp-consulting.co.uk

Nottingham PR consultant www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Thursday 10 February 2011

Courses to help East Midlands food and drink firms announced by The Food and Drink Forum

Business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum has announced its training courses for 2011.

The courses are designed to boost skills, encourage efficiency and increase profits, as well as promote the benefits of achieving external accreditation.

This year’s programme includes a new course on effective coaching to be run by The Forum’s recently appointed manufacturing innovation manager Mark Nicholson.

Mark and The Forum’s food technical manager Richard Wigley will also deliver training events that focus on food safety, becoming more efficient, and internal auditing.

The courses are open to all food and drink firms, as well as the Food and Drink Forum’s members who operate mainly in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland, and who qualify for a discount on course fees.

“Investing in the training and development of employees is essential to the success of a business,” said Food and Drink Forum managing director Fiona Anderson. “The Food and Drink Forum has extensive expertise in delivering training courses for food and drink manufacturers, producers, caterers and others working in the sector, and this year’s programme has been designed to offer a selection of suitable courses. We can also run bespoke training courses, designed to meet the exact requirements of our clients.”

This year’s programme of courses will be delivered in the training suite at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, or at suitable external premises, and the programme incorporates courses accredited by major awarding body the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

On Thursday April 14th a one-day CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Catering is being held. Completing a food safety course is a legal requirement for all individuals working in a food or food-related business. This basic, entry level course has been put together to specifically address the food safety and hygiene needs of caterers and is the ideal way to ensure legal compliance for businesses.

On Wednesday May 11th, The Forum runs a half-day course on becoming lean, which is aimed at food and drink professionals interested in understanding the basic principles of lean manufacturing and how they can achieve more with less resource through the continuous elimination of waste.

A one-day course on internal auditing designed to meet the requirements of auditor training for certification standards such as the BRC Global Food Standards and SALSA takes place on Tuesday July 5th.

On Wednesday September 14th The Forum runs a half-day course on effective coaching, while on Tuesday October 4th a one-day CIEH level 2 Award in Food Safety for Manufacturing course takes place.

Based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, and operating across the East Midlands, The Food and Drink Forum is a membership organisation that is one of the region’s largest business support organisations, championing the food and drink sector in the East Midlands through a variety of different ways.

To find out more about the courses or The Food and Drink Forum, visit www.foodanddrinkforum.co.uk or call 0115 9758810.

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Croots Farm Shop strikes gold with sausages and pies during BPEX roadshow


Croots Farm Shop has some of the best-quality sausages and pies in the East Midlands, according to industry experts.

The Derbyshire farm shop, which has its own butchers’ counter, deli and café, is celebrating after receiving four gold, seven silver and five bronze awards during the BPEX regional roadshow at Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire.

Croots hit the gold standard with its Lincolnshire sausages, beef, ale and mustard sausages, the Merquez (beef and lamb) sausages and the deli counter’s beef cobbler.

Silver awards went to the team’s tomato and basil sausages, and its pork sausages, along with its cottage pies, lasagne, mince and onion pies, steak and Stilton pies and steak and kidney pies.

Croots’ breakfast bangers, lamb and mint sausages, and chilli and lime sausages took bronze, while 19-year-old apprentice butcher Lee Barton won bronze in the young sausage maker category for his pork and cracked black pepper sausages and a bronze for his onion and marmalade sausages

Lee’s prizes took the Croots haul to 16 awards in a single day.

“It’s a tribute to our butchers, Rob Tomkins, Ant Griffiths and Lee, that pork industry experts rate our products so highly,” said Steve Croot, who runs Croots Farm Shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield.

“It puts an official stamp of approval on what we have known for a long time – that quality ingredients and real expertise are the key to great local food.

“Our sausages and other meat products are renowned throughout the area and some of our customers come long distances to stock up. We’re absolutely delighted to have picked up 16 awards, including four gold awards.”

The awards are not the first to have been presented to Croots. In 2009, the farm shop received a one star gold award in the Great Taste Awards run by the Guild of Fine Food for its black pudding sausage. In November 2010 Croots won a silver award for its breakfast sausage in a competition held to mark British Sausage Week.

Produced by the shop’s in-house butchers, all the pork sausages at Croots are made using free range Packington Pork from Barton-under-Needwood near Burton-upon-Trent. Croots has a range of around 40 different flavours of banger, which it sells on a rotating basis. The farm shop recently extended its fresh meat counter in response to demand.

Roadshow entries from all over the East Midlands were evaluated by BPEX judges using nationally agreed guidelines in this latest event. The awards promote excellence in pork products and are aimed at small producers. BPEX is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and works to promote English pork nationally and globally.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

Croots Farm Shop & Kitchen is open Sundays from 10am to 4pm (café until 3.45pm), and from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (café until 4.30pm). It is closed on Mondays.

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Monday 7 February 2011

Mothering Sunday treat for coffee-loving mums from Cherizena Coffee


Perk up your mum’s special day with Cherizena Coffee’s Mother’s Day blend.

The medium roasted coffee is a delicious combination of matured Java coffee beans, which give body and depth of flavour, and a touch of Kenyan coffee, which adds brightness and lift.

Choose from a gift set featuring a pretty mug, a matching storage box, a brewing basket and lid in a co-ordinating colour, and a pack of Mother’s Day coffee, all for £15, or opt simply for the Mother’s Day blend on its own.

Both are ideal gifts for coffee-loving mums who deserve a treat on Mothering Sunday on April 3rd.

Priced £3 for 125g, the Mother’s Day blend is one of around 30 single origin coffees and blends, and 20 different flavoured varieties on offer from Leicestershire-based Cherizena.

The firm is a leading UK specialist producer of coffee, and sources premium, rare and speciality coffees, as well as creating its own range of superb flavoured coffees.

The Mother’s Day blend and gift sets will be on sale at www.cherizena.co.uk
from February 15th, with last orders for Mother’s Day delivery on Wednesday 30th March 2011.

To find out more about Cherizena’s range, available by mail order, visit www.cherizena.co.uk or call 01664 820111. Post and packing is from £2.

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Friday 4 February 2011

Sherwood Truck & Van becomes part of the Guest Motors Group



Commercial vehicle group Sherwood Truck & Van Ltd has become part of the Guest Motors Group of companies.

The firm, which has dealership sites at Blackwell, near Alfreton, Lenton in Nottingham, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, and in Highfield Lane, Sheffield, will continue under the Sherwood banner.

Managing Director, Helen Waterfall, will join the Guest Group as a Regional Director responsible for the four Sherwood locations.

“Guests are a well-known, well-established and respected business, who, like us, have a commitment to the very highest levels of customer service and support. They also have a commitment to the Iveco and Fiat brands, and also, like us, are a family business who share our values and principles,” said Helen Waterfall.

“Guests are the ideal partner to help us to take the Sherwood brand forward, and I’m looking forward to working jointly with Guests to further develop our service to customers. It’s a positive step for the business and an excellent opportunity for our team of staff.”

Both Sherwood Chairman Terry Waterfall, who founded the business in 1978,and his co-shareholder Paul Hemp are retiring from Sherwood.

“I’d like to thank Paul for the tremendous support he’s given to Sherwood – his experience and knowledge of the industry and our business has been invaluable,” said Helen Waterfall.

“The business wouldn’t be here or where it is today without the dogged determination, guts and focus over the last 32 years from our founder Terry, my father, and a friend to everyone at Sherwood, and I would like to pay tribute to him.”

The acquisition of Sherwood was made by parent company Ian Guest Holdings and confirms West-Bromwich-based dealer group Guest Trucks’ position as one of the largest independently owned commercial vehicle dealer groups and the single largest Iveco distributor in the UK.

This latest acquisition (for an undisclosed sum) adds Iveco sales and service facilities in Blackwell, Nottingham, Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent, plus access to three additional authorised repairers in Swadlincote, Newark and Doncaster. It follows an 18-month period which has already seen Guest Trucks take responsibility for additional areas covering Telford and North Wales, Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire.

It will see Guest Group’s annual turnover grow to in excess of £100 million, with employee numbers increasing from 280 to 450.

Robert Spittle, Managing Director of Truck Operations for the family-owned Guest Group said: “Sherwood Truck & Van is a highly capable and respected dealer, with a strong customer base. It will form a key part of the Guest Group and allow our customers to benefit from the natural synergies of working with one of the industry’s largest and most professional dealer groups.”

Between Guest Trucks and Sherwood Truck & Van, the Guest Group now covers an area of responsibility for Iveco which includes East Midlands, West Midlands, North Wales, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire. Its network includes 12 full service Iveco dealerships, supported by local agreements with an additional eight authorised Iveco repairers.

www.sherwoodtruckandvan.com

www.guests.co.uk

Nottingham PR consultant Perfect 10 PR
www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Thursday 3 February 2011

Anila’s new look range to be exhibited at the Spring Fair International, NEC, Birmingham


Premium curry sauce and accompaniments producer Anila’s Authentic Sauces will be showcasing its stylish new branding at the Spring Fair International at the NEC Birmingham from 6-10 February.

The award-winning producer, which supplies to delis, farm shops, health food stores and quality food retailers across the UK, has designed new labels that reflect the distinct characteristics of the range.

The curry sauces, chutneys, pickles and dips are also being packaged in chic new jars to further enhance the image of the brand, which has won a string of awards for its products.

“The new labels give a clear message that the products created by Anila’s Authentic Sauces are speciality products, while at the same time highlighting the concentrated nature of the curry sauces,” explained Anila Vaghela, who founded Anila’s Authentic Sauces in 1997.

“What we provide are concentrated curry sauces that consumers use as a base to make a great-tasting, authentic home-made curry, as well as a range of fine, authentic pickles, chutneys and dips. We believe our new labels and jars will help us to stand out on the shelves, and really make a statement about the quality of Anila’s products.”

Anila’s produces eight premium concentrated curry sauces, handmade in small batches, as well as a range of 16 chutneys, pickles and dips made with single fruits and vegetables.

The firm has won 11 Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food for its products. Its Goan Green Curry Sauce was named Best Vegan Product in The Veggie Awards 2011 by Cook Vegetarian! magazine, with the judges saying: “Not only one of the best vegan curry sauces we’ve ever tried but one of the best curry sauces available. Its complexity of flavours makes its taste truly sensational.”

In 2009 Anila’s Spicy Korma Curry Sauce scooped a Free From Food Award.

Dairy free, gluten free and with no added sugar, the curry sauces are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. They also don’t contain onion or garlic, which make them ideal for families with differing dietary requirements.

The new labels and jars are being showcased at Spring Fair International - the UK’s largest home and gift trade show. Visit Anila’s Authentic Sauces at stand 20B46B.

Anila’s Authentic Sauces is based in Walton-on-Thames with a unit in Hounslow, and is run by Anila and her husband Dan.

Anila’s products are sold at John Lewis Oxford Street and John Lewis Bluewater, and top quality gourmet stores, such as Harrods, Wholefoods and Planet Organic, plus hundreds of other outlets that include health food stores, garden centres and gift shops, as well as smaller independent stores such as Budgens at Ascot, Shepperton and Crouch End. Anila’s also sells direct to the public at around 20 farmers’ markets across Surrey, Berkshire, and Buckinghamshire, including Guildford, Walton, Windsor, Maidenhead, Ascot, Ripley, Reading, Beaconsfield and Farnham, and online via http://www.anilassauces.com/

Recent customer comments include:

“Your Hot Methi Curry was amazing!”

“I am in raptures of pleasure, your sauce is a triumph, I cannot praise it enough. The word exquisite does not do it justice.”

“Anila's Goan Green Curry Sauce tastes amazing, as good if not better than much of the food I ate whilst travelling in India a few years ago.”

http://www.anilassauces.com/

Nottingham PR consultancy Perfect 10 PR
http://www.perfect10pr.co.uk/

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Blue cheese under the microscope thanks to Food and Drink iNet

Dr Kostas Gzatzionis & Food & Drink iNet advisor Jo Murphy 
Scientists are putting the East Midlands’ famous blue cheeses under the microscope in a research project that aims to explain exactly what gives the cheeses their distinctive taste, texture and smell.


The Food and Drink iNet is supporting research being carried out by The University of Northampton in conjunction with The University of Nottingham to delve into the microbiology of blue cheese production.

The researchers hope to unravel the mystery of exactly how the microorganisms in blue cheese work…leading to greater quality, consistency and fewer defects in production.

The project could ultimately help East Midlands’ blue cheeses to take a larger slice of the global blue cheese market by making regional cheese producers more competitive.

The research project is one of five Collaborative Research and Development grants worth a total of more than £245,000 announced by the Food and Drink iNet, which co-ordinates innovation support for businesses, universities and individuals working in the food and drink sector in the East Midlands.

Funded by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Food and Drink iNet is one of four regional iNets that has developed an effective network to link academic and private sector expertise and knowledge with local food and drink business innovation needs.

“This is an exciting research project between The University of Northampton and The University of Nottingham, with far-reaching potential for one of the East Midlands’ most famous products and exports,” said Food and Drink iNet interim director Richard Worrall. “We don’t really know exactly how the various microorganisms in blue cheeses are interacting and working, so if we can help to provide a clearer picture about their role in blue cheese production it will help cheese producers in a number of different ways, and ultimately make them more competitive.

“The Food and Drink iNet Collaborative Research and Development support is designed to provide help for innovative research schemes that will benefit the food and drink sector in the future, and this fits the bill perfectly.”

The team, which also includes Stichelton Dairy Ltd, based on the Welbeck Estate, Nottinghamshire, has been awarded almost £49,000 towards the cost of the research project of just over £79,000.

The research is being run by Dr Kostas Gkatzionis, a researcher in the School of Health at The University of Northampton, in conjunction with his colleague Prof Carol Phillips, and Prof Christine Dodd and Dr Robert Linforth from The University of Nottingham. Dr Kostas Gkatzionis studied the microflora of Stilton for his PhD. Now this research is being widened to look at the role played by secondary flora - microorganisms that have not been added or controlled by the producer but which appear in the cheese during production.

This secondary flora has a significant impact on the properties of the final product in both a positive way by contributing to the flavour of the cheese, but also in a negative way by producing bitter smells and poor formation of the blue veins.

By discovering exactly how this secondary flora works, researchers hope that blue cheese producers will be able not only to improve current varieties of cheese but also that this will pave the way to the development of new cheeses.

“We are very pleased to receive this grant from the Food and Drink iNet for our research, which will help us to understand in more detail the microbiological issues that concern the production of cheeses, and as a result should bring a range of benefits to the blue cheese industry of the East Midlands, and also the cheese industry more generally,” said Dr Gkatzionis.

The research findings will be shared with cheese producers across the UK.

The Food and Drink iNet aims to build on the tradition of innovation in the food and drink industry in the region by helping to create opportunities to develop knowledge and skills, and to help research, develop and implement new products, markets, services and processes. It is managed by a consortium, led by the Food and Drink Forum and including Food Processing Faraday, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Lincoln, and the University of Nottingham. It is based at Southglade Food Park, Nottingham, with advisors covering the East Midlands region.

For more information visit www.eminnovation.org.uk/food

http://www.perfect10pr.co.uk/